About the People
The Royal Kingdom of Thailand (which means Land of the Free) was founded in 1238 in a declaration of independence from Khmer overlords. Bordered by Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia, the country also boasts coastlines on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Thailand exports large quantities of Jasmin rice, silk cloth, silver and silver jewelry, wicker weaving, cabbage, herbs and naturally-dyed cotton. Open-air markets carry plenty of fresh produce at reasonable prices, and vegetarian restaurants abound. Temperatures range between 60 and 100 degrees year-round, and the political climate is peaceful.
Thailand is a deeply Buddhist nation, with over 92 percent of its population espousing the Buddhist faith. Missionaries have had very little success at penetrating this massive “spiritual wall.” Only about 1.6 percent of the Thai population is Christian. There are 37 Seventh-day Adventist churches in Thailand, most of which are in northern Thailand. Hua Hin—the focus of the Southern Thai Project—has no Seventh-day Adventist presence.
About the Project
The primary goal of the AFM missionaries on the Isan Buddhists project is to establish an indigenous church-planting movement among the Isan Buddhists in Thailand. AFM missionaries live closely among the people, learn the Thai language, study local culture and religion, and build deep friendships to reach this goal. Using what they learn, they will craft evangelistic materials for the Thai Buddhist context. Their aim is to share Christianity in a way that leads to conversions that are deeply meaningful and lasting. Local converts will be discipled to become leaders in the first church planted and trained to plant new churches. In this way, the result will be a locally-led newborn Adventist Christian movement that continues expanding God’s kingdom in Thailand.
People-Group Facts
- Population: 67 million
- Language: Thai
- Religion: Buddhism
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come . . . Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken . . .
and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
(Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6, 7)
By:
Jared Wright
March 01 2022, 2:10 pm | Comments 0
A few months ago, we heard from Frost’s and Fern’s mother that the girls’ school had been closed indefinitely due to the ongoing pandemic in Thailand, cutting them off from their teachers and friends. Learning that, Teacher Tonya prepared a large packet of fun learning activities for them, and I purchased a copy of a beautifully illustrated Thai children’s Bible.
By:
Jared Wright
January 01 2022, 8:07 pm | Comments 0
Now, we often ask Sailaap to help the younger students at our school with their math homework because she has begun to value the effort and believe that she can teach someone else.
By:
Jared Wright
December 01 2021, 4:56 pm | Comments 0
He was lying in the hospital, seriously injured and afraid that he might die, he told us that he saw a man dressed all in white, who was shining, and he came to him and comforted him. He believes that man was Jesus.
By:
Jared Wright
November 01 2021, 12:11 pm | Comments 0
Life for Jasmine is messy. We do our best to bring some order into the chaos that is her reality, and we are starting to see the results.
By:
Jared Wright
September 01 2021, 1:43 pm | Comments 0
We do our best and take every opportunity to let the students know that we see them past their behavior, and that we love them.
By:
Tonya Wright
May 01 2021, 1:34 pm | Comments 0
In our ministry, we try every day to help our students understand in a practical way that God is a real person who loves them and is involved in their lives—to know that they are not alone and not ignored, and that Someone is always there to care for them.
By:
Jared Wright
April 01 2021, 3:33 pm | Comments 0
Long ago, the Psalmist wrote, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. . . . How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” (Psalm 139:16-17 NLT). We believe that God’s thoughts for Chang and his family are precious and that He sees all their potential.
By:
Jared Wright
March 01 2021, 7:31 pm | Comments 0
Please pray for Sister Tan. We believe that God has plans to use her to start a people movement in her community that will help guide many to a deep connection with their Creator.
By:
Jared Wright
December 01 2020, 2:33 pm | Comments 0
Engaging children’s imagination and creativity is an important part of the work we do in our community. It is our hope and prayer that the seeds we plant in children’s hearts will grow into mighty trees point to heaven.
By:
Jared Wright
October 01 2020, 2:57 pm | Comments 0
